Part 27 (1/2)
Where, she didn't know, and she didn't even care. She just needed to get away. Fast.
Outside on the street, a car door slammed, the sound deadened by distance. Ordinarily the thud of a car door closing wouldn't even have penetrated her consciousness, but today...
Hurrying to the window, she inched the curtain aside, looking down onto the street that bordered Montrose Park. A huge, powerfully-built man in a dark suit was climbing out of the rear of a limo idling at the curb.
Tomilin's limo.
And just before the door swung shut she caught a glimpse of another man inside the car.
David Charbonnet.
The huge man headed for the entrance to her building.
A knot constricted her throat. s.n.a.t.c.hing up her smartphone, she dialed 911.
No signal.
Das.h.i.+ng to the nightstand, she tried the land line.
It was dead, too.
Grabbing her purse, Rachel raced out of the bedroom, dodging around the kitchen and running for the hallway door. Pulling it open, she stepped out, jerking her head from side to side. The hallway was empty.
She let the door close softly behind her, using her key to lock it. Then she hurried down the hallway towards the back stairs, her heart hammering in her chest.
Yanking open the exit door, she pounded down the steps, grasping at the rail to take them two at a time. She landed with both feet on the first floor landing, seeing another door. For a moment she stopped, her chest heaving. Should she take it? She wasn't sure what the door opened onto...
The door burst open. The gigantic man stood framed in the opening, blocking the light, looking at her with startling blue eyes that shone like jewels against his dark skin.
Pitiless eyes, totally devoid of any kind of humanity.
Without saying a word he grabbed her by the arm.
She screamed.
___.
Dulles International Airport, Dulles, VA The Challenger 600 lifted off the tarmac and rose into the leaden skies over Was.h.i.+ngton. Inside the cabin, Rachel sat stiff-backed in a leather chair opposite Tomilin, her stomach churning as she looked at his oily smile.
”Why did you kidnap me?” she asked him.
He regarded her with a sneer. ”I didn't kidnap you. I saved your life.”
”What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?” She rose from her seat, pulling out her smartphone. ”I'm going to call the police.”
Tomilin's barked laugh was slick with arrogance. ”The police aren't going to help you.” From his jacket pocket he pulled out a pistol and casually aimed it in her direction.
Rachel's jaw dropped. ”What are you doing? My G.o.d, you're a United States Senator!”
Tomilin gave her a condescending smile. ”I'd make that a 'was', I think.”
”You killed Sanctuary, didn't you?”
”It was necessary. But you're to blame. You didn't follow orders.” He gave a dismissive gesture with the pistol. ”But it doesn't matter. In a few hours he'd be dead anyway.”
Rachel stared. ”What are you talking about?”
A heavy footstep sc.r.a.ped the carpet. She looked up to see the huge man who had grabbed her coming toward them.
He lowered himself down next to Tomilin and they exchanged a brief discussion in a language that sounded like Russian or Turkish to Rachel's ears. Her jaw dropped. How did Turner know Russian? Her brain reeled.
Their conversation ended. The giant man settled back in his seat and stared at her with his laser-like eyes.
”What's going on here?” she demanded. Information was power. If she could learn something, maybe she could use it to her advantage.
”This man,” Tomilin said, ”is a member of a group of people who are going to cleanse the world of humanity.”
___.
”You're insane,” Rachel said. For the last ten minutes she'd sat quietly, listening to Tomilin's explanation of the Atlanteans' plans. ”What's worse, you're a traitor to your country and your flag.”
That made Tomilin boom out a laugh. ”Traitor? I'm not a traitor. I'm a capitalist! I take care of myself, I put money in my pocket, and I don't give one G.o.ddam who gets hurt doing it. That's the American way.”
Rachel glared at him. ”You know that's a lie.”
”Is it? Maybe you've forgotten how this country got started-by exterminating an entire race of people to steal their land, in the name of G.o.d. They called it 'Manifest Destiny', an ad slogan cooked up by the spin doctors of the time, but it was nothing but wholesale slaughter, rape, and robbery. That's the real story of America-a handful of privileged men making fortunes by breaking the backs of women, children, and immigrant laborers. And politicians and special interests making billions by starting wars, waving the American flag while millions die to make them richer and richer. It's wholesale hypocrisy and greed.”
Rachel glared at him with undisguised loathing. ”You don't care about the Atlantean cause. You're just taking care of yourself.”
”As I said, it's the American way.”
Her stomach churned with acid. She could barely stand to look at him. ”So why am I here?”
The Senator leaned back and regarded her with a smug expression. ”I'm going to do you the honor of making you one of my concubines.”
Rachel shot to her feet. ”I'm not going to be anybody's concubine!”
With deliberate slowness, the huge man stood, towering over her. Dominating her. Raising his arms, he showed her his fingers. They were thick and gnarled, like blunt talons of gristle and bone.
Rachel shrank back.
”We'll see,” Tomilin said. ”I think a few sessions with Pteor might change your mind. There's nothing he likes better than inflicting pain. Especially on women.”
The huge man reached out, an expression of l.u.s.t stiffening the hard planes of his face. His fingers barely touched the s.p.a.ce between her collarbone and the base of her neck.